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Time Trials - Ludlow Evening League 2008

Click here for a copy of the Ludlow evening league programme.

Results up to the penultimate round (26th August) are here - Hill Climb next week!

Cyclosportives 2008

Cyclosportives are by far the most popular form of organised cycling events in the UK and Europe, and they are growing like crazy.  We are lucky to be blessed with some great events within easy reach.  Some of the best on the calendar include:

4th May - Forest of Dean Classic - 85 miles.

25th May - Gran Fondo Cymru - 40km, 153km, or 200km.

15th June - Shropshire Highland Challenge - 65 miles.  More of an audax than a cyclosportive, but very popular with LCC members at it starts and finishes in Ludlow.

15th June - Dragon Ride - 120km or 180km.

10th August - Devil Ride - 100 miles. 

7th September - Trans Cambrian - 140km.

5th October - Autumn Epic - 150km.  Voted number one in the UK.

Sam takes bronze in Welsh cross league

Youth member Sam Weaver took up the challenge of cyclo-cross last Autumn, and after an intense season picked up the bronze medal in the Welsh Cyclo-cross League on 16th December in a cold and breezy Cardiff.  Courses varied from bone dry parkland, through rim swallowing mud and wind swept moorland, to rain drenched former open cast mines over the three month league programme - combining intense racing (races are typically 30-50 minutes long) with sharp bike handling, cyclo-cross is a fun and friendly discipline.  Sam is hoping to build on his debut season success as he enters the Junior ranks next year, and if you fancy an exciting chance to sharpen your bike skills, you could do worse than joining him in 2008!  Report of the final round is here.

2007 Ludlow Time Trial League  - final standings

Despite road works and floods, the evening time trail league proved as popular as ever in 2007, with lots of new faces and novice riders giving it a go.  The final standings and results of each round can be found here.

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Older Stories:

A Winter Weather Treat...31st December 2006 (Elan Valley)

Starting from Crossgates spirits were good - even on the climb up to Abby-cwm-hir. Although it was quite windy we were reasonably sheltered and it didn't really bother us - even though there was quite a bit of debris on the roads which caused two punctures before Rhayader...more

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Duo Normande 2006

Ludlow's annual trip to the Duo Normande 2-up 54.3 kilometre time trial was a big hit, even with spills and flats, with a group of 17 taking part in this year's event.

Click here to read Dover's account of this superb event, that has us coming back for more each year.

Matt and Dave on L'Alpe at the Tour de France

To whet your appetite for the coming season, click here to read all about how Matt and Dave Morris come down with a dose of Tour Fever as they travel out to the Alps.

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Cobbles!

Ludlow riders abroad - Phil Smart and Phil Weaver took part in the Tour of Flanders sportive this weekend, and what a fantastic experience it turned out to be.  Read Phil W's story of the event here, and for Phil Smart's account click here.

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  ......and more adventures from Phil Smart 

Phil Smart finds a memorable ride in Cornwall - click here for the full story.

How long are your cranks?

There has been some chat on the Sunday club rides about the fact that virtually every bike, regardless of frame (and therefore rider and leg) size seems to be fitted with 170mm cranks.  Some of us have tried longer or shorter lengths, with encouraging results - more comfort, power etc.  And the consensus within the scientific community seems increasingly to confirm the view that one size certainly doesn't fit all.  A quick web search revealed a range of advice and a number of calculators, which in the case of one 6ft rider (with an 85cm inseam) suggests that cranks between 175 and 180 would be best - a suggestion backed up by trying out some 175s.  So, have a look yourself at the following sites and see what they come up with.  You never know, perhaps you are the lucky and 170 really is right for you.

http://cranklength.info/crankCalc.htm   http://www.nettally.com/palmk/crankset.html  

As a contrast, and based more on conventional wisdom (i.e. not on scientific theory), the calculator on this site suggests something much more in line with the historical view that crank length is not necessarily related to leg/femur length: http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk

So, how tough is L'Alpe d'Huez?  Compared with, say, the Burway or Gospel Pass?

So now the Tour route has been announced, don't you find yourself wondering just how hard the climbs really are.  Well find out by visiting this truly remarkable site:  http://ciclismo.sitiasp.it/(sic5vy55rixvlb55qeur2b45)/motore.aspx?lingua=eng&da=lm 

It lists details of thousands of climbs across Europe, providing pictorial route profiles and statistics such as length, altitude and gradient (by the kilometre), together with a difficulty rating based on all of these factors.  In answer to the question above - L'Alpe scores 114 points (click here for its profile), the Burway 49 (click here), and Gospel Pass 39 (click here).  

If you have any cycling related sites that you would like to share, please email us

(Still) Phil's best day ever on a bike 

And longest - over 10 hours to complete a road race.  Can this be right?  Yep, when the race lasts for 208km over four giant mountain passes in 95 degree heat.  But was it worth it?  You bet - read Phil Weaver's account of the Gran Fondo Campagnolo, and get the passports renewed for next year.  After all, who wouldn't want to ride with Big Mig?  And 4000 others...

 

Evening League

Programme 2008

Course Descriptions

Results 2008

Results 2007

Results 2006

Results 2005

Results 2004

Results 2003

 

Links

SCCA

CTT

www.cyclingnews.com

Bents Bicycle & Walking Tours  

Epic Cycles

Pearce Cycles

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Last updated 20/06/2008